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May 9, 2012

Reports: Beckett Played Golf Two Days Before Missed Start, Blew Off Training Work During Last Homestand

Josh Beckett was reportedly playing golf last Thursday, two days before his missed start due to a strained right latissimus muscle, according to 98.5 The Sports Hub. There is also a report that Beckett refused to do training work with the other Red Sox pitchers during the last homestand.

The Sports Hub co-host Scott Zolak tweets that the golf story is "100% IRONCLAD" and that Beckett was playing at a local course with Clay Buchholz.

Beckett admitted that the lat muscle was bothering him before his last start, in which he threw a career-high 126 pitches. Beckett admitted that he kept the soreness from the team and that throwing all those pitches exacerbated the situation: "I really wanted to pitch. I just ended up making things worse."

The day after the alleged golf date, Beckett played catch at Fenway Park and said he felt fine. Bobby Valentine said that Beckett also threw on Monday "and said he felt fine and was ready to go". Beckett is scheduled to start tomorrow night at Fenway against Cleveland, and is in (or on his way to) Boston tonight.

If Beckett was golfing, either the lat muscle was not that bothersome, or he was risking further injury by swinging a golf club. Neither choice paints Beckett in a positive light.

I'm trying to sort out my feelings. ... When we decided for Josh not to make his start, it wasn't because he was injured. It was a precautionary situation because his his lat was a little tight. ... I don't know if he was out at a charity match, just putting, or if he was whaling away and felt that might have loosened things up. ... I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off.

Gary Tanguay on with Felger now says Beckett during the last home stand refused to do the work he was supposed to with the rest of the pitchers, said he didn't feel like it, refused to listen to the strength coach. Went into the clubhouse instead.

When you consider that Beckett was one of the main chicken-and-beer boys and admitted to a lack of focus last September, the perception (or reality) that he has freely given the finger to two managers and his teammates in less than three months of playing time will be more than enough - coupled with his less-than-stellar pitching performances and expected taciturn response to questions - to ignite a sizeable firestorm of media attention.

Played golf on offday. Like everybody else. I don't think the guy would purposely put his health/career in jeopardy. The way they talk about this, it's as if he ran a marathon, with an "I hate the fans and love to disrespect the game" sign on his back. Even Abe just now said that if he hadn't been involved in controversies before, it wouldn't be a story. I don't think Beckett did anything wrong at all, but that's just me.

The "ironclad" in all caps shows me how the guy thinks he's got some serious scoop and is glad he got to help start the shit-storm, and will now sit back and watch the ratings rise.

Jere, I know you think the media can do no right, but this does not have to be an either/or situation. If Beckett is refusing to do his work, telling the Sox staff, in effect, to eff off, that is okay with you?

If Beckett has a year in 2012 like he did in 2011, he can tell whomever he wants to do whatever he wants. He had a caeer year last year. I say give him a case before every start, and maybe he'll do it again. I'm with Jere on this one.

Beckett has already admitted that he failed to inform the team that his lat was bothering him, and he has admitted that throwing 126 pitches made things worse.

Now, after being told he is missing a start because of this injury/soreness, he apparently goes out and plays a sport that could further injure the lat muscle, leading him to miss even more time. And that is okay? Amazing....

Allan, FWIW, I agree with you. If he wasn't well enough to pitch, what was he doing playing golf? This is not about what he generally does on his day off---this is about missing a start and then using that as an opportunity to play another sport and possibly injure yourself.

Plus refusing to train? What possibly defense could there be for that?

Cafardo etc. must be drooling. There will be stuff in the papers tomorrow about Beckett that will make Eric Wilbur's Gonzalez piece look calm and measured.

If the stuff about him blowing off the training staff is true, I agree with Amy - it's not defensible, it's just unprofessional. And it can't be much help for the de facto leader of the pitching staff to be behaving that way.

Be patient folks, a couple of strong starts by Beckett and a few line drives by Youkilis and both can be moved to the NL. Appears Cole Hamels is avail and a deal with Phila for example is doable.

Once what should have been done in the offseason gets done we can then begin our "bridge " year play Iglesias and Middlebrooks and Levarnway every day and retool to be strong next year.

If the team is not 20/20 at 40 games I blow it up and roll with the above. I thought 20/20 looked got at 11/11 but now it's lookin' like bridge year is upon us and the sellout/distribution streak is over....

Maybe I'll even mosey on up to the lyrical little bandbox and watch the pawsawx pups play if I can snag some freebees!